Endorsement editorial: Supreme Court justices, Appeal Court judges

Merit retention has been part of the Florida judicial system since 1976.

It calls for voters to render simple "yes'' or "no'' decisions on whether judges at the appellate level. including the Florida Supreme Court, should be retained for further service.

Should voters say "no,'' which has never happened, that judge or justice would be replaced via gubernatorial appointment after thorough vetting by a panel of other gubernatorial appointees.

While the process means these members of the bench do not campaign and meet with voters in a traditional sense, merit retention has served Florida well. It has provided a measure of insulation from the political pressures which might distract these officials from carrying out their duties based solely on how they see points of law.

For the Nov. 6 elections, for which early voting starts Oct. 27, there is an added measure of interest. The three Supreme Court justices up for review are under attack by a conservative political action committee which declines requests for interviews. The late Gov. Lawton Chiles, a Democrat, had a hand in appointing all three.

That is the kind of politics that merit retention was designed to keep away.

For that reason, we strongly recommend voting "yes'' to retain Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — all of whom passed muster in a Florida Bar poll with approval ratings of at least 89 percent.

Approval ratings were even higher from the Bar for judges up for merit retention review in the Second District Court of Appeals. Based in Lakeland, it handles cases from both Collier and Lee counties.